Get Involved/School Council

School Council

Children do better in school when their parents/guardians play an active role in their education. This can be as simple as reading each evening with your child, attending school events and functions, or participating on the School Council.

Each year, a School Council is formed by an election at your child’s school. This council has the opportunity to meet regularly with the principal and to liaise between the school community and school administration.

For more information, see the School Council Procedure.

The School Council consists mainly of parents/guardians of students in the school. The principal, one teacher, one other staff member, and a community representative are also members of the School Council.

Contact your school principal to find out more information about becoming a School Council member.

Parent Reaching Out (PRO) grants program provides funding to work with parent stakeholder groups, school councils, and/or the District School Council – Parent Involvement Committee (DSC-PIC) to lead projects with a focus on the identification and removal of barriers that prevent parents/guardians and families from participating and engaging fully in their child’s learning.
The DSC-PIC will work in collaboration with school councils to determine projects and corresponding funding amounts for each project.

You can find more information through the Guide for School Councils on the Ministry of Education website.

Macaulay Public School School Council

2024 – 2025 members

Coming soon…

Email contact: [email protected]

Meeting minutes

2024-2025 information coming soon….

2023-2024 information

1. Call to toder

  • Becky Belcher called the mee.ng to order at 6:32pm on Wednesday, September 20th.

The following were recorded as being present.

Parents: Becky Belcher, Sam Welch, Shannon Collins, Chris.na Weening, Kim Peterson, Kathy West, Jessica Raynor, Emily Carty, Sarah Maki, Steph Oates, David HalleM, Avery Pawelek, Krista Finch-Shelly

Staff: Jenn Clark – Principal, Brian Andreasen, Mr. Kirkpatrick (VP)

  • “Welcome to School Council 2023” Power Point Presenta.on
  • 23/24 MeeJng Dates
    -November 6
    -February 5
    -April 1 (Easter Monday – may change)
    -May 6 -June – maybe a wrap up meeJng

2. Elections

  • Co-Chair 1 -Becky
  • Co-Chair 2 -Krista
  • Secretary -Avery
  • Treasure -Sam
  • Fundraising Leads
    -Shannon
    -Sarah 

Have decided that there will be no Communications Officer this year.

3. Staff and classroom updates

● No staff of class updates – a little early

Other Upcoming Items…

  • Sam Bigley will be here on October 18th – Community Safety Officer- discuss safety online
  • Thursday, Oct 5th – world teacher day – something special done for the teachers? Could Parent Council coordinate something? Becky has agreed.

4. Principal update – Mr. Kirpatrick VP

  • IEPs- will be running late, staff will be reaching out to the effected parents
  • Review of special educa.on- parents were invited to sit in on sessions for new ini.a.ves in schools.

Principal update – Jen Clark

School organization

  • One additional classroom – From 12 to 13 classrooms
  • Additional 0.2 French
  • Additional 0.5 SERT
  • Additional 0.5 VP

Staffing updates

Welcome to:

  • Mr Kirkpatrick – VP SERT
  • Mrs Egan – Grade ⅘
  • Mrs Morrow – Grade ¾
  • Mrs Lee – Kindergarten prep
  • Mrs Slemin – grade 7/8
  • Mr Briggs – head custodian (Mr. Hill quietly retired in the summer)

Facility renewal

  • Bathroom renovation – on hold
  • Re-bricking of front of building – complete (not able to get a new sign for the school at the same time)
  • Paving tarmac to portables – complete
  • Lift/elevator – part of think tanks – on hold – waiting for tender
  • Boilers replaced – completed last year

Programs

  • IEP Data Base – rollover – children who are IPRC’d first, then the other ones – teachers reaching out to work in partnership with parents
  • Teachers are working on collecting diagnostic assessment data on children – reading and math – to inform targeted interventions

Other

  • Emergency procedures – fire drill (6) and lockdown drills (3) -Lock Down Drills – Please let parents know to reach out to Jen Clark if there are any issues with drills.

Upcoming dates

  • Sept 21 – OPP coming to 7/8 to discuss substance abuse and the law
  • Sept 25-29 – Truth and Reconcilia.on week
  • Sept 27 – Terry Fox walk – 1:30 volunteers welcome – must have cvs and vsc
  • Sept 28 – a group of grades 7/8s to soccer fest
  • Sept 28/29 – Grade 6s to Camp Muskoka
  • Oct 5 – World Teacher Day
  • Oct 6 – PA Day
  • Oct 10 Evan Luker Run
  • Oct 17 Picture Day
  • Oct 18 – MADD Canada – grade ⅞

5. Finance updated numbers

End of Year

$3,918.86 – School Council Account – very close to the same EOY number last year

Legacy Fund

$13,000 *

*Miss Jenny’s number was much higher – $19k.

Sam will go back and look at the math.

Legacy Fund Recap for New Members

  • Mostly for outdoor equipment
  • Long term plan was for a new playground – likely not possible (upwards of $200k).
  • Smaller asks can be accommodated (skis, snowshoes, kinder yard)
  • better to keep it moving into smaller projects
  • Legacy Fund started almost 10 years ago. The fund needs a beMer plan with a more realis.c goal. – Steph

Break for “Boom Wackers”, Toto by Africa –

6. Fundraising

  • Meettings will be the Monday after Council meeting.
  • You do not need to aMend both meetings
  • Shannon and Sarah to lead

7. Teacher asks

Brian Andreasen

First

  • October 10th – Evan Luker Run
  • would like to run a bbq for the event
  • last year the school made $1300 from just a bake sale, we could do more
  • those moneys went to phys ed programs
  • can use the propane and burgers leo over from tonight for the bbq
  • Council will be in touch with Brian if they can be involved
  • Shannon will connect with Miss Jenny
  • Fund will go to more phys ed items – specifically balls – we are very low 

Second

  • Cross Country Skis – 10k for a class set.
  • Could contact Jump Start, Lions, Rotary to help. (Kim will send an email to Lions)
  • Need match full set to work properly.
  • Would like to have it for this winter.
  • This is where we could use the legacy fund.

Third

  • Music Request
  • Music Stand Holders – $609 for one, need two
  • Holds 12-13 stands
  • We have 20 stands and they are all over the place
  • Would need to be a good welder in order to make them ourselves
  • Steph – will see if JWS could make them for less
    Motion that we will go ahead with this – either buy them outright or get JSW to make them
    Kim to first Stephanie Oats – seconded

Round Table

Shannon & Steph- Grade 8 Grad

  • No big grade 8 trip last year
  • Grade 8s would really like to do something this year.
  • Students have fundraising ideas. Need a parent commiMee to help org and fund this trip.
  • Possibly a separate fundraising commiMee specifically for grade 8 grads. This would be throughout the year.
  • 7&8s – preparing for student reps – a big interest this year. Historically, grade 7s help the 8s. Keep in mind economy and parents’ level of engagement and burn out.

Halloween Howler

  • Engagement ac.vity to get parents into the school – will talk more on the Monday mee.ng.
  • Haunted walk – 7&8s – not super into it last year.

Storm wear

  • Will it be ready for the holidays?
  • Brian – Yes, may piggy back the storm wear with a book fair

Edge Imaging

  • Not great, maybe a change next year for photos
  • Heather Douglas – new photos
  • Jenn – Heather is more expensive – but if you get a beMer picture, parents may buy more pictures
  • Full Class Photos – stopped during covid

8. New business and thank yous

Childcare for Meetings

  • Offer the job to responsible grade 8s – 2 at least
  • Childcare is always a set back to get other parents involved on council.
  • Did offer it in the past
  • Can also offer a Google Meet
  • Grab the link and put it our in an email for the next mee.ng.

9. Adjournment 

Thank you to everyone for coming.

Meeting ended at 7:51pm

For specific information regarding Macaulay Public School’s School Council, visit the school’s School Council page

Volunteer

TLDSB believes and recognizes that volunteers enhance the learning experiences of our students. The Board appreciates that by engaging members of our communities, volunteers can model positive relationships and good citizenship.

Volunteer programs:

  • Foster a strong school and community partnership.
  • Enhance the quality of education.
  • Expand learning activities.
  • Provide innovative programs and enrichment activities using community skills and resources.
  • Optimize learning opportunities for students, staff, and volunteers.

There are many volunteer opportunities in our schools, these include help with:

  • Field trips
  • Breakfast programs
  • Reading programs
  • Library
  • Arts and crafts
  • Safe arrival
  • Special event days
  • Drivers
  • School council
  • Coaches
  • Career day

If you are interested in volunteering at your school, please contact your school principal. For more information, view our Policies for volunteering.

Frequently asked questions

The procedure for obtaining a police check varies depending on which geographical region of the Board in which you live. In most cases, the volunteer is responsible for taking two pieces of identification, including one photo identification to their local police station or OPP detachment. Please note, social insurance cards and health cards will not be accepted for the cost of any police check.

It is the policy of TLDSB to ensure that all individuals who come into direct contact with children have a criminal record check (CRC). The Board is in a position of trust with regards to students and must protect their intellectual, physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The well-being of students is a priority, and as such, we expect everyone who will be working with students to have completed  a CRC.

Volunteers are welcome in schools when they are available. The important thing for volunteers to remember is to follow the agreed upon schedule, and if you are unable to attend the school as agreed upon, to please contact the school and inform the staff member you were volunteering with that you will not be in attendance.

Each school has a visitor/volunteer sign out book in the main office. Volunteers are asked to sign in upon arrival and then sign out prior to leaving the building. In many schools, volunteers also have an identification tag, which allows students and staff within the building to know who the volunteers are.

A vulnerable sector check is for volunteers who will be working with a group or an individual who is identified as “vulnerable” by the police. This would be people in a position of dependence or at greater risk of being harmed by persons in a position of authority or trust. The primary volunteer sector that applies to schools is for “children under the age of 18.”

Volunteers are protected by the Board’s liability insurance against lawsuits arising out of their duties for the Board. Coverage only applies when the volunteer is carrying out duties assigned by the school authorities (ie. staff members). Volunteers are not covered by accident insurance, nor by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act through the Board. 

Find it Fast

Calendar

School calendar

Safe @ School

Report form

Registration

School registration

Buses

Transportation info.

Macaulay Public School

1270 Cedar Lane, Bracebridge, ON P1L 0L4

Contact Us

School Schedule
Entry
8:45 a.m.
Block 1
8:45 a.m.
Nutrition break 1 (K-Gr 3)
10:45 a.m.
Recess 1 (Gr 4-8)
10:45 a.m.
Nutrition break 1 (Gr 4-8)
11:05 a.m.
Recess 1 (K-Gr 3)
11:05 a.m.
Block 2
11:25 a.m.
Nutrition break 1 (K-Gr 3)
12:45 p.m.
Recess 1 (Gr 4-8)
12:45 p.m.
Nutrition break 1 (Gr 4-8)
1:05 p.m.
Recess 1 (K-Gr 3)
1:05 p.m.
Block 3
1:25 p.m.
Dismissal
3:05 p.m.

School Websites